Infant bathtub



Oct- 25, 19 M. F. SMITH 2,957,184

INFANT BATHTUB Filed Aug. 6, 1957 ENTOR.

%/0 /$d///%%&Z affer Q/Zk 57622723545 United States Patent INFANTBATHTUB Marshall F. Smith, Chicago, 111. (411 Foch St., Ellwood City,Pa.)

Filed Aug. 6, 1957, Ser. No. 676,545

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-185) This invention relates to bathing facilities andhas for one purpose to provide a structure particularly effective in thebathing of infants.

Another purpose is to provide a trainer device efiective to condition aninfant toward acceptance of the water and toward a feeling of well-beingin an ordinary bathtub.

Another purpose is to provide an infant bathtub trainer serving to makethe bath a pleasant experience for the infant.

Another purpose is to provide a structure effective to permit immersionand removability of an infant from the bath water while avoiding thenecessity for holding or handling the infant.

Another purpose is to provide a structure effective to permit the use ofboth hands in the bathing of an infant.

Another purpose is to provide a structure of the type described whichshall be effective to properly support an infant in the bath withoutstrapping or tying the infant.

Other purposes will appear from time to time during the course of thespecification and claims.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view;

Figure 2 is a side elevation; and

Figure 3 is a top plan View.

Like parts are indicated by like numerals throughout the specificationand drawings.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figure 1, the numeral1 generally designates a bottom wall. The bottom wall 1 has a graduallysloping upward curve positioned intermediate its ends for the purposeshereinbelow described. The curve of the bottom wall 1 continuesdownwardly, rearwardly to form, as indicated in the left hand portion ofFigure 1, a buttock-receiving or seat portion 2. Rising upwardly in arearwardly in clined plane from the bottom Wall portion 2 is a rear wall3.

A pair of side walls 5, 6 rise upwardly from the opposite longitudinalside edges of the bottom wall 1. Each of the side walls 5, 6 has anupwardly, rearwardly inclined side wall section extending forwardly fromthe opposite longitudinal side edges of the rear wall 3 and designated,respectively, by the numerals 7, 8. As best seen in Figure 2, the rearwall 3 and side walls 7, 8 may be tapered adjacent their upper ends andmay be inwardly curved or directed as indicated respectively at 9, 10for the purposes described hereinbelow.

A plurality of openings 11 are formed in the side walls 5, 6. A forwardwall 12, as best seen in Figure 3, joins the bottom wall 1 and sidewalls 5, 6 and has formed therein a plurality of openings 11. Inaddition, a pair of greatly enlarged openings 13 are spacedly positionedin the wall 12. The entire, generally rectangular upper edge of thereceptacle formed by walls 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 3 and 12 has a downturned lipor rolled portion for safety and prevention of injury and to provide,simultaneously, handle elements such as those indicated as being formedat 14, 15, the numerals 14, 15 serving to designate also the entirerolled upper edge element, almost any spaced, oppositely disposedportions of which are serviceable as handle elements.

Whereas I have described and claimed a practical and operative device,nevertheless, many changes may be made in the size, shape, number anddisposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention,I therefore -wish my description and drawings to be taken as, in a broadsense, illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to myprecise showing.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

An infant may be conveniently placed within the structure shown hereinand described herewith with the head of the infant resting upon the rearwall 3 between the curved side wall portions 9, 10. The buttocks of theinfant are conveniently rested in the bottom wall segment 2. Theupwardly curved portion of the bottom wall 1 conveniently andcomfortably supports the limbs of the infant in a position serving toretain the infant in the desired position for bathing.

The operator may then grasp handle segments 14, 15 and lower the deviceof my invention with the infant supported therein into the ordinarywell-known bathtub or other supply of bath water. Water then flowsthrough the openings 11, 13 to provide for bathing of the infant. Duringthe bathing operation, the users hands are completely free from anynecessity to support or hold the infant. At the same time the infant isfree to move and play, being nonetheless held and supported comfortablyand without confining straps etc. in a safe position.

After bathing the infant, the user merely grasps ledge 14, 15 and liftsthe device of my invention out of the supply of water, the water withinthe device of my invention escaping through the openings 11, 13 some ofwhich are formed along the lowermost edges of the walls 5, 6 and may,when preferred, be also formed in the bottom wall 1.

Indicated at 4 are suitable anti-skid elements which may for example,constitute rubber discs or strips adhesively secured or otherwiseattached to the underside of bottom wall 1.

When the device of my invention is employed in association with anordinary bathtub, the rearwardly inclined wall 3 may be convenientlysupported by the similarly inclined rear wall of the ordinary bathtub,though a balance member or brace could be secured to the rear face ofwall 3 to insure against rearward tipping of the device when usedelsewhere, without departing from the nature and scope of my invention.

It will be realized that the device of my invention may be employed inan empty bathtub or similar structure and the water for bathing may besupplied or otherwise delivered to the infant, the apertures 11 beingeffective to provide a carrying away or draining away of both wash waterand rinse water so delivered.

The enlarged apertures 13 in the end-wall 12 provide for extensiontherethrough of the feet and part of the legs of the infant when deemedadvisable. The infant may, for example, be laid upon the stomach alongthe rearwardly, upwardly inclined forward portion of the bottom wall 1with the legs of the infant extending through the openings 13.

'I claim:

1. An infants tub trainer comprising an upwardly open receptacle havingapertured side walls, a front wall, a rear wall and a bottom wall, saidbottom wall having an upwardly curved, limb-supporting central portionand a concave, buttock-receiving rear portion, said rear wall risingupwardly from said rear portion above the upper edges of said side wallsand said front Wall, said side walls having upwardly rising rearsegments joined to the upper portion of said rear wall and extendingfor,

Patented Oct. 25, 1960 v 'wardly therefrom, said upper portion of saidrear wall and said segments of said sidewalls being upwardlyan upper,rearwardly inclined back-and-head-supporting structure comprising arearwardly inclined extension of a said rear wall above the heighthofsaid front Wall and side Walls, and upwardly, rearwardly inclinedsegments of said side walls lying respectively, substantially'in theplanes of the side walls of said receptacle, said side wall segmentsbeing secured to and-extending. forwardly from the opposite longitudinaledges of said rear wall extension, said rear and side wall extensionsbeing upwardly tapered, and a pair of: feet-receiving openings in, saidfront wall, said openings being spaced one'from the.

other and extending from said bottom wall upwardly through a majorportion of said front wall;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSMusselrnan June 28, Graves May 8, Thornburg Oct. 21, Prince Mar. 29,Gaston et al. Dec. 13, Pribil Feb. 1, Lafield Feb. 15, Resek Nov. 15,Rogatz Jan. 24, Bu k p 3, Hylton et 'al. Ian. 2,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Dec. 16, France Sept. 16, Great BritainApr. 28, Great Britain Feb. 4, Germany Mar.. 1, Germany Oct. 5,

